to cope with factors like climate change and invasive pests. Conservation Many aspects of the ecology of V. polylepis make it susceptible to species loss. Firstly, as an epiphyte it is dependent on stable forests with large canopy trees in order to grow. Therefore, deforestation presents a major threat. Secondly, many V. polylepis populations in West Africa occur near densely populated cities and towns, meaning that urban sprawl could result in further habitat loss and degradation. Finally, it flowers so infrequently and irregularly that the species would take a long time to recover after drops in population size. V. polylepis has however been successfully cultivated in botanical gardens, meaning that ex-situ conservation could provide some form of protection for the species. These aforementioned factors make Vanilla orchids an at-risk group. This is demonstrated by the fact that nine species of the genus are listed as endangered or critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. The conservation status of V. polylepis has not been formally assessed and further field investigations are required to understand its population size and distribution. References polylepis Orchids of Africa Flora of East Tropical Africa Flora of South Tropical Africa Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Flora of the Republic of the Congo Plants described in 1951